


The Journey

by Willowflower_Waterlily



Series: Letting Go (Leandra Bethany Hawke, Series 2 ) [2]
Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-09
Updated: 2015-08-09
Packaged: 2018-04-13 21:19:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4537767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Willowflower_Waterlily/pseuds/Willowflower_Waterlily
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Leandra leaves her siblings behind and Will follows her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Journey

After checking her supplies one last time, Leandra pens a note to her siblings. Taking a final look around the kitchen, memories fill her mind. Leandra wipes away a couple of stray tears before leaving her childhood home.

Walking down the well-worn path to her father’s grave, Leandra heart aches more and more with each step. It can’t be helped though. If they won’t leave her, she will leave them. Hopefully someday, they will see that she only wanted to do right by them. They need to forget her, to move on and live their lives without her. Maybe then they’ll stop looking for the ghost of the woman she had been, maybe Will could finally find someone worthy of him.

Leandra clutches her chest at the thought of Will. Tears fill her eyes as the image of him with another woman, having a life together. Something that she might have been able to have with him, before, when she was the woman they all seem to think she still is.

Pushing her selfish thoughts out of her mind, she kneels in front of her father’s grave. Embracing the stone marker, Leandra cries, her tears flooding her cheeks. “I’m so sorry, daddy. It’s my fault you died. If I was here, I could have saved you.”

 

Will watches Leandra from the trail, his heart breaking. Having found her letter to her siblings, he guessed she would visit her father’s grave before leaving. Against his better judgement, Will approaches Leandra. She stiffens as he gets closer, reaching for her sword.

“It’s only me.” Will stops, holdings his hands out in front of him as Leandra stands up and spins on her heels to face him. Drawing her blades, Leandra scowls at him.

“Go back. Do not try to follow me.” Her sword trembles slightly, her hands shaking. “I will attack you if you do not listen.”

“You would…” Will’s eyes fill with tears. Casting a barrier around himself, he takes a step closer to Leandra. She tightens her grip on the hilt as he gets closer. Reaching out, Will carefully pinches the end of the blade. Pointing it at his chest, his gaze follows the edge of the blade up her arm and back to her eyes.

“You will have to kill me, to stop me following you.”

Leandra’s eyes widen, tears rolling down her cheeks. She steps back, sheathing her sword with shaky hands. Will gets closer to her again, holding his hands out to her. Leandra shoves him as hard as she can before turning to run blindly into the woods.

 

Leandra leans against an old tree, panting after having run for at least a couple of miles without stopping. After glancing back the way she came to make sure Will didn’t follow her, she pulls her compass out to see if she ran in the right direction. Leandra smiles to herself, pleased she won’t have to double back. Tucking the compass back into her pocket, she continues to head north-east into the Hinterlands.

 

Will watches Leandra clean the blade of her sword from a distance, screwing up the courage to walk up to her. She threatened to harm him if he followed, but when he called her bluff she ran away. Taking a deep breath, Will decides to take his chances and approach Leandra.

“Are you alright?” Will looks Leandra over, her armor covered in blood. Leandra’s gaze shoots up from her sword and she glares at him. He holds his hands out in a gesture of peace. “I did not mean that I don’t think you could handle your own, but even the best can get injured. There is… a lot of blood on your armor.”

“None of it mine.” Leandra sheathes her sword. “I told you not to follow. Why can’t you leave me alone?”

“When I left you before, you almost died.” Will struggles with his emotions as he sees her laying dead on the ground in his mind. Tears roll down his cheeks, and he wraps his arms around himself to keep from shaking. “Not knowing if you’re well or not, worrying that you’re injured or worse…”

“If you truly cared, you would have been to see me sooner.” Straightening her stance, Leandra folds her arms over her chest, glowering at Will. “Did your many admirers abandon you for others? After having gone through all those other women, you thought you’d add the broken daughter of the Inquisitor and the Champion to your collection?”

Staggering backward, Will stares at Leandra wide-eyed. Reaching to his side, he braces himself against a tree, to keep from falling over. Unable to restrain his emotions, Will openly sobs slowly sinking to his knees. “Is that what you truly think?”

“Tell me I’m wrong,” Leandra demands, hovering over Will.

“You’re wrong. I wasn’t with anyone.” Will looks up at her, his vision still blurry. “I never saw any of them, I only ever saw you.”

“I don’t believe you.” Leandra turns to walk away, but stops when Will touches her leg.

“Lucy invited me to your twentieth birthday party. Your parents noticed me staring at you. They sat down and talked with me. I should have listened to them.”

Leandra inhales sharply at the mention of her parents. “What did they say?” She asks, clenching her hands into fists.

“They said that I’m good enough. I didn’t believe it, even then. I should have done something. Maybe if I did, I could have helped you. I’m sorry. It’s my fault that you are broken too.”

Tears fill Leandra’s eyes, the words she spat at Will playing in her mind over and over again. Guilt fills her, as she kicks herself mentally for having been so cruel. When did she become this and was it what she truly wanted to be? Shaking her head, Leandra knows it is what she has to be. It is what she deserves, but it isn’t what Will deserves.

“I’m setting up camp. You may stay, for now.”

 

Leandra starts cooking dinner as Will sets up wards protecting the camp. While she avoids talking to him as much as she can, Leandra has to admit that he’s useful to have along. After setting the fennec up on the spit, she glances at the map. They’re about half way there. Leandra touches the map label for Lothering, her mind wandering to memories of her father. What would he think of her, if he could see her now? Would he be ashamed of what she’s become?

Will sits down across from her by the fire, the sight of him interrupting her thoughts. His dark green eyes glow as they observe her.

“We aren’t far from the Crossroads, if you would like to go there.” Leandra breaks the silence that settled between them. “Or you could go to Redcliffe, if you prefer. There are also a handful of Inquisition camps that we could detour to.”

“I want to stay with you.”

Leandra frowns at him, studying him as he fidgets under her gaze. “Fine, but if you change your mind, let me know.”

 

Will watches Leandra toss and turn in her sleep. His heart aches for her, wishing he could hold her close and comfort her. In the past five days, he’s seen a subtle change in Leandra. She’s a little more likely to talk to him, and not have the conversation turn to places he could go to. Though they are still in silence more often than not, it’s something Will can hold on to. Reaching out, he delicately touches Leandra’s hand. Her restlessness ceases, and a small smile forms on her lips. Will memorizes the joy on her sleeping face, not remembering the last time he’s seen her happy.

 

Reaching a clearing, Leandra throws her arm out in front of Will, to stop him moving forward. In front of them, a well armored black haired man stands, looking as though he’s waiting. He grins when Leandra draws her mother’s blade.

“Stay behind me, and out of the fight.” Stepping in front of Will, Leandra challenges the man. He laughs and signals. Four other men, nearly as well geared as their leader step out from the shadows. “Shit…” Shifting her sword to her left hand, Leandra reaches for a throwing dagger hidden in her belt and throws it at one of the four surrounding them. Hitting its target, the blade gets embedded in the man’s eye. His comrades charge Leandra as he falls down screaming. Grinning at them, she braces herself for their attacks.

The first to attack her, a red haired man with a scar on his cheek attacked her blindly, clearly not knowing what he was doing. Dispatching of him, she turns, parrying the next attack. The remaining two lackeys must have trained together for years. A barrier forms over Leandra as she leaves herself open to draw the two men in to attack them at the same time. She kicks one of them to the ground, and stabs the other. Pulling her sword from the one man, she quickly stabs the last one before turning her attention back to their leader.

“Mage,” The black haired man snarls, making a beeline for Will as Leandra fights the remaining two men. Quickly casting a barrier around her, Will hopes it will be enough to protect her. Will starts to cast a spell only for it to fade a moment later, his mana draining rapidly. Holding his throat his tries to call out to Leandra, but nothing comes out. A force sends Will flying into a tree. A pain like he’s never experienced before envelopes him body and soul. The man stands above him, a victorious grin on his face. “Like the taste of that smite, mage scum?”

A list of sarcastic replies forms in Will’s mind, but before he can pick one to reply with, the man smites him again. Will’s body jerks into the air, a soundless scream forcing its way up his throat.

Leandra’s heart stops when she sees Will’s body convulse as it’s tossed into the tree behind him. Running toward them, tears roll down her cheeks as Will is attacked again. The man unsheathes his sword, raising it above his head to deliver the killing blow, but before he can Leandra screams, driving her blade through his throat. His sword slips from his hand and he falls to the ground.

Leandra’s voice is soft, and Will can barely hear it over the throbbing pain coursing through him. Unable to open his eyes, he feels Leandra pull him on to her lap, wet droplets fall onto his face. Leandra gently opens his mouth, and a cool liquid trickles down his throat, easing some of his pain. His body relaxes enough for him to succumb to the dark unconsciousness that awaits him.


End file.
